Decorating parties with photographs is one of my favorite things to do; it makes the event completely personalized, and I’ve discovered a way to do that with very little money.

First, I ordered 9 Black & White photo’s of the Bride & Groom in an 8″x10″size from Costco ($14 total).

I then had a 2’x8′ board from Home Depot cut into 10″ pieces ($7 total). After lightly sanding each piece, I used SetCoat Black to cover the wood (all sides)

The next day, I trimmed each photo to be sure it fit exactly on to the wood.

Using a foam brush, I coated the back of the photograph, and one side of the wood with SetCoat Clear. This is a high quality acrylic paint that dries clear. It was superior bonding agents that will actually glue the photograph to the wood, but it will also serve as a durable, clear topcoat.

After positioning the photo on the block, I used the same foam brush to completely coat (and press down) the top of the photograph. At this point it’s a good idea to paint the sides, too. I made sure I finished with vertical or horizontal strokes, then I used a chip brush to strie over the top both horizontally and vertically. (This leaves a “linen” look when dry, and makes them look like they are almost on canvas).After drying you can sand the edges for a more distressed look, otherwise you’re done!

SetCoat Clear takes the place of ModPodge and/or Liquitex Gel Medium, which is basically $1 per ounce. SetCoat clear is half the price, and has multiple uses.